The Los Angeles Lakers suffered yet another loss on the season last night falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road. Along with extending their current losing streak to three games, the Lakers have also lost one of their starters for the rest of the season.
According to Lakers.com, rookie center Ivica Zubac will miss the rest of the season due to the high ankle sprain he suffered in Thursday’s loss:
Ivica Zubac, who was injured in the first quarter of last night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, had X-rays and an MRI today. Results of the X- rays were negative and the MRI confirmed a high ankle sprain in his right ankle. He will be out for the remainder of the season and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Back in the 2016 NBA Draft, all the focus for the Lakers was on the No. 2 overall pick. The team ultimately selected Brandon Ingram with the pick and may have gotten a star in the making as a result, but the team was able to get a steal with their second-round draft choice in Zubac.
The Croation has far exceeded expectations in his first season with the Lakers. Zubac went from a Los Angeles D-Fenders regular to a starter and the consensus seems to be that he has a bright future with the Lakers.
Zubac, who played professionally overseas before being drafted by the Lakers, has been a pleasant surprise for Los Angeles with much more polished game than anticipated. The 20-year-old possesses all the skills to be a successful big man on the NBA level and has quickly earned the respect of his teammates and the coaching staff.
In 38 games this season, Zubac averaged 7.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Zubac shot an efficient 52.9 percent from the floor and only improved in the 11 games as a starter for the Lakers.
With Zubac now officially ruled out for the season, the team will turn to Tarik Black and Thomas Robinson to help fill the void left by the rookie center.
